Alien Navel Cord Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 I've always maintained that I have a small throat. Sometimes, especially when nervous or have too little of water to swallow them with, I will choke on my pills and that will send a gag reflex up and then.. whoosh! Away the contents of my stomach go. Does this happen to anyone else, and is there a good fix/remedy/solution/advice? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit37 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Yes, quite often. It's mostly the lithium, the capsules are light and trigger a gagging reflex. I take my meds with cheez-its crackers. I crunch one up, and before I swallow I pop the pill in my mouth. Works 99% of the time, you've just gotta quit chewing so you don't chew the capsule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearhead Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 I've never vomited but I've certainly gagged. For me the solution is to take a big mouthful of water, enough that nothing can get caught, as it is swept away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olga Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 You can also try this: most people throw their head back to swallow pills. However, if you bend your head forward (chin aiming to your chest), you are actually opening up the pathway for the pill. This is something that is suggested for elderly people, who often have difficulty taking pills. I would also increase the amount of water you're drinking with the pills. olga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted October 18, 2016 Author Share Posted October 18, 2016 17 minutes ago, olga said: You can also try this: most people throw their head back to swallow pills. However, if you bend your head forward (chin aiming to your chest), you are actually opening up the pathway for the pill. This is something that is suggested for elderly people, who often have difficulty taking pills. I would also increase the amount of water you're drinking with the pills. olga Oh yes good point, I learned that by proxy from my mate who was going to be in the speech & hearing sciences field about tilting the chin forward to swallow, for those with dysphasia. Maybe I have a mild dysphasia. I choke on meat and cheese too. 51 minutes ago, Gearhead said: I've never vomited but I've certainly gagged. For me the solution is to take a big mouthful of water, enough that nothing can get caught, as it is swept away. This is what I try to do... a big huge gulp.. and then a heard and heavy swish back to the throat. But it doesn't always work... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancesintherain Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 Definitely have done it. Fortunately only twice. Split the evening pill load into two chunks and have been fine since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 7 hours ago, 2Spirals said: I've always maintained that I have a small throat. Sometimes, especially when nervous or have too little of water to swallow them with, I will choke on my pills and that will send a gag reflex up and then.. whoosh! Away the contents of my stomach go. Does this happen to anyone else, and is there a good fix/remedy/solution/advice? Thanks! Fortunately I have a large throat. But, sometimes when I am swallowing the pill, it will stick to the back of my esophagus. And that is just not fun. I don't gag usually, but the burning pain does not go away for awhile. I have choked on pills in the past, and fortunately the gag reflex was enough to get them back up. I haven't ever thrown up from swallowing pills. However, I am able to swallow pills now without a problem for one reason: I use one of those sports bottles (ie a Poland Springs one) with a flip cap. When I put the pills in my mouth, I squeeze water into (READ: force) back into my throat, kind of let the pills all be surrounded in water for a few seconds, then force the water back (I force it by squeezing the sports bottle with my hands and don't actually drink from it) while "throwing" my head back, and usually every pill goes down. It is the only way I can swallow pills. Once in awhile one pill will get stuck, and it is ironic because all the bigger pills go down; it is the smaller ones that I could potentially have a hard time with, but other than that no problems (just as long as I use the poland springs (or whatever kind) water bottle with the cap). Hope this helps someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted October 19, 2016 Author Share Posted October 19, 2016 I also think my gagging comes from anxiety about swallowing the pills themselves. I have to distrct myself while taking them, and then it seems ok. So is that also weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, 2Spirals said: I also think my gagging comes from anxiety about swallowing the pills themselves. I have to distrct myself while taking them, and then it seems ok. So is that also weird. (in bold) No, you are not weird. Everyone is different. Edited October 19, 2016 by melissaw72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted October 19, 2016 Author Share Posted October 19, 2016 Well thanks I feel like less of a freak ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olga Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 2Spirals, one of the great things about CB is that you find other people who have experienced/suffered/survived the same things you are going through. It kept me alive when I first came here. I hope you can overcome your swallowing issue. I can see why this would be very upsetting. olga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve223 Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 Not with pills and not exactly the same problem, but whenever I go to the dentist, I worry I'm about to choke to death on that x-ray film they give you. Never had anything happen physically, just pure irrational paranoia about choking and dying on the damn thing. To be honest, I'm still scared of the dentist with all those sharp metal tools and all. Never had any issues with pills even the larger ones, but the dentist absolutely scares the crap out of me even though I'm 25 and obviously know it's nothing to be scared of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted October 25, 2016 Author Share Posted October 25, 2016 On 10/19/2016 at 3:11 PM, olga said: 2Spirals, one of the great things about CB is that you find other people who have experienced/suffered/survived the same things you are going through. It kept me alive when I first came here. I hope you can overcome your swallowing issue. I can see why this would be very upsetting. olga Agreed! I like when I'm not alone in my suffering - oops that came out wrong, I don't want others to suffer, but you know what I mean. lol... getting perspective from others who have had the same issues is what I appreciate - that's what I meant. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustNuts Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 I can usually swallow my pills without any issues other than a potentially unpleasant taste with some drugs (and only if I am too slow to swallow it). Methylphenidate IR and diazepam both taste especially nasty, but aren't gag-inducing. The only thing that makes me gag is my Adderall IR - the generic my that pharmacy uses dissolves extremely quickly and has a ridiculously sickly sweet taste that's very gag-inducing, especially so during the few times when it's gotten stuck in my throat when swallowing it. I'm surprised that I haven't ended up vomiting because of it yet, there have been a few close calls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 2 hours ago, JustNuts said: I can usually swallow my pills without any issues other than a potentially unpleasant taste with some drugs (and only if I am too slow to swallow it). Methylphenidate IR and diazepam both taste especially nasty, but aren't gag-inducing. The only thing that makes me gag is my Adderall IR - the generic my that pharmacy uses dissolves extremely quickly and has a ridiculously sickly sweet taste that's very gag-inducing, especially so during the few times when it's gotten stuck in my throat when swallowing it. I'm surprised that I haven't ended up vomiting because of it yet, there have been a few close calls. Because it dissolves so quickly, could you put it under your tongue? It would dissolve there fast anyway ... you still might have the gross taste, but it wouldn't be all over the back of your throat and might not make you gag because it is in the front of your mouth. You could maybe eat something afterwards to take the bad taste away. The only meds I put under my tongue are the ODT meds that are supposed to go under your tongue, and they dissolve in maybe a 30 seconds, max ... they don't all have the best taste, so after I take them I get something to eat or drink that masks the taste. Idk how long the med you are talking about would dissolve in, but from what you write it doesn't seem like it would take along time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustNuts Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 4 hours ago, melissaw72 said: Because it dissolves so quickly, could you put it under your tongue? It would dissolve there fast anyway ... you still might have the gross taste, but it wouldn't be all over the back of your throat and might not make you gag because it is in the front of your mouth. You could maybe eat something afterwards to take the bad taste away. The only meds I put under my tongue are the ODT meds that are supposed to go under your tongue, and they dissolve in maybe a 30 seconds, max ... they don't all have the best taste, so after I take them I get something to eat or drink that masks the taste. Idk how long the med you are talking about would dissolve in, but from what you write it doesn't seem like it would take along time. The horrific gag-inducing taste exists irregardless of where it is in my mouth. Dissolving the entire dosage would make things much, much worse. I have found the best strategy is to swallow it the instant it's in my mouth, which still results in a horrible taste irregardless of how fast I swallow it, but much less so than if I delay even a second before swallowing it (just mildly gag-inducing instead of "oh god I'm going to vomit"). I've considered asking for a different generic due to this issue, but I doubt my pharmacy would stock a different generic just for me, and I don't want to go pharmacy-shopping with a schedule II medication in the hopes of finding one that uses a different generic (it's inconvenient as hell and raises all sorts of red flags). What I don't get is who the hell thought it was a good idea to formulate their generic like this. As far as I know, every single other Adderall IR generic on the market lacks this issue. I think it's intended to increase medication adherence for children, but the sickly sweet taste is so terrible that I'm not sure if anyone would consider it attractive. Dissolving the medication as soon as it encounters water makes some sense for people who have difficulty swallowing whole pills, but it'd be better to just fucking adhere to the industry standard for this and let those few people crush the tablets and mix it with something to facilitate swallowing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 How about if you tip your head back so it pretty much is already in your throat ... would that make go down a little easier? Then it wouldn't touch your tongue (if that matters even). I find that with swallowing pills that are not ODT, I throw them into the back of my throat, and immediately I use a sports bottle with water and squeeze it hard, forcing the water out into the back of my mouth where the pills are, and the pills go down easily. Otherwise the meds would get stuck in my throat. Just an idea. It is the only way I can get meds down, by the bunch ... if i took one pill at a time I'd be screwed. I get nauseous enough swallowing the bunch of pills, let alone each individual one. (I hope this is helpful, if not just disregard it). 20 minutes ago, JustNuts said: I've considered asking for a different generic due to this issue, but I doubt my pharmacy would stock a different generic just for me, Yes! Check on this ... they might ... if the DR prescribes it and you'll pay for it/insurance pays for it, the pharmacy has to get it. The pharm that I go to orders from a couple/few different places if one doesn't carry something. It might just be a matter of your pharmacy ordering it. If not, you wouldn't be pharmacy shopping if you got just the one med there because your main pharmacy couldn't get it. IMO, pharmacy shopping is going from pharmacy to pharmacy to pharmacy, getting meds filled from each one. ie, in the case where someone gets a benzo prescription from 3 different DRs, and they go to 3 different pharmacies to get the prescriptions filled (insurance might pay for one, but for the other 2 they'd pay out of pocket for them. But you are only getting that one med, and you need to see which pharmacy carries it. I don't think getting that one med that another pharm carries because your pharm doesn't. (sorry if I repeated things). Anyway, I think asking your pharm about it would not be a problem. I think it is worth looking into anyway. 31 minutes ago, JustNuts said: but it'd be better to just fucking adhere to the industry standard for this and let those few people crush the tablets and mix it with something to facilitate swallowing. I agree with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowan77 Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 Yes. Often Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustNuts Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, melissaw72 said: How about if you tip your head back so it pretty much is already in your throat ... would that make go down a little easier? Yes! Check on this ... they might ... if the DR prescribes it and you'll pay for it/insurance pays for it, the pharmacy has to get it. The pharm that I go to orders from a couple/few different places if one doesn't carry something. It might just be a matter of your pharmacy ordering it. If not, you wouldn't be pharmacy shopping if you got just the one med there because your main pharmacy couldn't get it. IMO, pharmacy shopping is going from pharmacy to pharmacy to pharmacy, getting meds filled from each one. ie, in the case where someone gets a benzo prescription from 3 different DRs, and they go to 3 different pharmacies to get the prescriptions filled (insurance might pay for one, but for the other 2 they'd pay out of pocket for them. But you are only getting that one med, and you need to see which pharmacy carries it. I don't think getting that one med that another pharm carries because your pharm doesn't. (sorry if I repeated things). Anyway, I think asking your pharm about it would not be a problem. I think it is worth looking into anyway. I agree with you. That's actually the technique I use for virtually all pills. Get just the right amount of water in my mouth, tip my head back, toss the pill straight towards the back of my throat, wait just long enough for it to sink to the point where it's all but guaranteed to go down when I swallow the water, then swallow. It's still horrible even like this. I'm a little hesitant to ask for a different generic because I've asked for a different generic of another drug in the past after they switched generic manufacturers on me (previous one was easier to swallow, new one was oversized), and even though it was marked on the little drug info guide/receipt that the manufacturer had changed (this being directly after my request, NOT after they switched manufacturers originally), they didn't actually give me a different generic - it was exactly the same manufacturer and exactly the same pill. I hate complaining about anything so I never brought it up again and just dealt with the oversized generic. Additionally, I know that it's a huge pain in the ass for a pharmacy to stock another generic specifically for one customer, and that insurers and/or pharmacy chains often have policies that make ordering/using a different generic difficult or impossible. Plus, I'd have to wait like a week for them to order the med and have it delivered (when I was briefly prescribed dextroamphetamine IR, I discovered that they didn't keep any stock of that drug, and it took at least a week for them to order and receive the meds, so I assume it would be the same for any other med). This means at least a week without meds, which is not really an attractive prospect. I follow several pharmacy discussion sites, and I've noticed that a LOT of pharmacists say they refuse to give out any information on availability of any Schedule II medications to patients without a pre-existing and active patient file. Like not even telling people if they have stock, or lying to them about it. And asking about specific generics is apparently a red flag in these cases (as are a whole bunch of other things). So I don't particularly want to have to deal with all that bullshit. If I end up actually vomiting from this at least once or twice, I'll reconsider, but otherwise, it seems like FAR more trouble than it's worth. In an ideal world, I'd definitely want to have different Adderall and diazepam generics (I know they make at least one diazepam generic that doesn't have the taste issue), but this is far from an ideal world. Edited October 30, 2016 by JustNuts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted November 3, 2016 Author Share Posted November 3, 2016 Sometimes I barf when swallowing pills. I'll gulp air, and then it makes a gagging sound, which leads to me heaving and then... barf. Yeah. And sometimes it is a harmless little tiny pill even. Like Abilify. But it makes me gag to think that I am taking medications at that very moment (not sure why -- it's like I am anxious that I'll puke, so I start to gag and then it makes me puke - if that makes any sense). I hate vomiting. It is gross. So I try to avoid it all at costs, but that cannot mean stopping my meds. I even vomit sometimes when holding my Qvar (inhaler) puff in my lungs for 10 seconds! WTF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 The only time I get extremely nauseous is when I take one pill at a time. It is all or nothing for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAL9000 Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 I do the handful at once technique. I had to have surgery and some nurse brought in the morning "pile" of pills. When I threw them down in a gulp (Much better then swallowing) she was "impressed" If there is ever an olympic pill swallowing contest I think I could represent... *I have gagged but that was when I was trying to take them one at a time. Many are best not tasted. Like OMG is that awful level yuck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nervousbat Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) --- Edited May 9, 2017 by nervousbat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 No. I might gag, but I never vomit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heilmania Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 This happens to me like once a week. Seriously. I have a super-duper gag reflex. Mostly it happens with my Effexor, as the tablets are chalky and seem to get stuck. They also taste like shit, which doesn't help. I wish I had a suggestion for you. I guess what I try to do is toss the pills toward the back of my mouth before drinking so they're already close to where they need to go and I don't have to taste them too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I don't have any gag reflex left, but those big horse pills can still be difficult to swallow sometimes. They just seem to get caught in your throat on occasion. The little itty bitty ones are bad too (e.g., 5 mg Ritalin). It's very obnoxious. I always use copious liquid, and they still get caught sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Interesting that I noticed this today. My pdoc has me on a starter pack of Strattera this week and I'm struggling. I have taken it before and ultimately stopped because I found it made me nauseous to the point of vomiting up my meds ~30min after taking them. Now my pdoc (who is not the doctor who prescribed it the first time) wants me to try it again. The taste of the pill in my mouth, even before adding any water is horrendous (and way worse once adding water). I'm consistently retching just from putting the pill in my mouth (and I'm sure the anxiety of anticipating that just makes it worse/more likely). Usually I can take all my pills in a handful and just swallow in one go. I've started taking the Strattera first because then if I do puke it up or can't swallow it, at least I only lose that med and not the others as well. I'm not sure what to do though. I'm wondering about getting some applesauce and seeing if I can take it that way. Otherwise, I may have to nix it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 Will you be proud of me to know that I can take all 6 meds (7 maybe) at once at night with just water. I swish a big load of water and gulp them down and don't feel a thing. It's been going so much better!! Thanks for all of your advice guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflykisses Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 The only way I can swallow my pills is I take it with a gulp of coke. The carbonation and flavor block out any nausea or reflux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blahblah Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 42 minutes ago, Butterflykisses said: The only way I can swallow my pills is I take it with a gulp of coke. The carbonation and flavor block out any nausea or reflux. Good idea. I often choke/gag on pills, either because of the size (Omega3 or Calcium monster pills) or the weird taste (Lamictal ew, gross). I actually asked someone the other day how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on myself, if one every gets stuck in my throat or windpipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 24 minutes ago, Blahblah said: Good idea. I often choke/gag on pills, either because of the size (Omega3 or Calcium monster pills) or the weird taste (Lamictal ew, gross). I actually asked someone the other day how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on myself, if one every gets stuck in my throat or windpipe. I apologize, but that made me giggle.. about the heimlich meneuver . I choked once on a peice of sausange and it sucked. I almost asphyxiated until I drank a bug gulp of pepsi and it swallowed down. Good greif. Anyway so it reminded me of the time I had a problem. I don't know why it made me giggle though, that was odd. Sorry. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflykisses Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 4 minutes ago, Alien Navel Cord said: I apologize, but that made me giggle.. about the heimlich meneuver . I choked once on a peice of sausange and it sucked. I almost asphyxiated until I drank a bug gulp of pepsi and it swallowed down. Good greif. Anyway so it reminded me of the time I had a problem. I don't know why it made me giggle though, that was odd. Sorry. I once chocked on a big bite of a pulled pork sandwich. I had to perform the helmlich myself in the middle of a restaurant. LOL. not funny but looking back I am LOL. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted February 21, 2017 Author Share Posted February 21, 2017 2 minutes ago, Butterflykisses said: I once chocked on a big bite of a pulled pork sandwich. I had to perform the helmlich myself in the middle of a restaurant. LOL. not funny but looking back I am LOL. See these things aren't funny... but they are. No idea why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blahblah Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 14 hours ago, Alien Navel Cord said: See these things aren't funny... but they are. No idea why. No need to apologize, I'm sort of chuckling/laughing too when i look at my reply...but it also scares the crap outta me that it will happen. Here ye, Here ye, I will commit to chewing longer, slower and will drink Coke with my monster vitamins....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 19 hours ago, Butterflykisses said: The only way I can swallow my pills is I take it with a gulp of coke. The carbonation and flavor block out any nausea or reflux. I'm glad you've found something that works for you! Does the carbonation get in the way ever? When I used to be able to drink coke, I remember sometimes that I had to sip on it because too much carbonation would actually have a hard time getting down. The only thing I throw up (no matter what) is all dark sodas. I am thankful for water and the water sports bottles to force water into my mouth as I am swallowing everything at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixiechick Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 I get choked on my Lithium quite often. Recently I discovered if I take all my meds with chocolate milk(the thick kind)they go right down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 3 hours ago, Dixiechick said: I get choked on my Lithium quite often. Recently I discovered if I take all my meds with chocolate milk(the thick kind)they go right down. YES! I forgot about this! This. works. the. best. with. me. I totally forgot about it ... great advice! I've done this also years ago and it really helped (at least 5 years or more, developed allergy to chocolate and had to stop). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted February 23, 2017 Author Share Posted February 23, 2017 chocolate milk in in it's own right would make me barf lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterflykisses Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 On 2/22/2017 at 7:13 AM, melissaw72 said: I'm glad you've found something that works for you! Does the carbonation get in the way ever? When I used to be able to drink coke, I remember sometimes that I had to sip on it because too much carbonation would actually have a hard time getting down. The only thing I throw up (no matter what) is all dark sodas. I am thankful for water and the water sports bottles to force water into my mouth as I am swallowing everything at once. For some reason the carbonation helps. All the fizz and stuff takes away from the texture and taste of the pills. Also the fizz totally covers up the feeling of swallowing pills. I imagine sprite could work as well since it is not a dark soda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 35 minutes ago, Butterflykisses said: For some reason the carbonation helps. All the fizz and stuff takes away from the texture and taste of the pills. Also the fizz totally covers up the feeling of swallowing pills. I imagine sprite could work as well since it is not a dark soda. It might, you're right. I don't drink soda in general though; although I do seltzer water (but not with meds). It is just that the carbonation gets stuck in my throat ... and I literally can't swallow it. I'm really glad it works for you ... some pills have the nastiest taste! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordansonfleek Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 Gag but not vomit. Also happens when I gargle. Hmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 (edited) 8 hours ago, jordansonfleek said: Also happens when I gargle Exactly for me too ... I can't gargle at all without gagging and it starts to drip down the back of my throat, so I just put my mouth over the sink and all of it comes out. Edited March 8, 2017 by melissaw72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted March 8, 2017 Author Share Posted March 8, 2017 lately I realized I havent been gagging or vomiting at all. It feels nice, I hope I can keep it that way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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